Fukushima Nuclear Crisis Update for March 27th – March 29th, 2012

Here’s the latest of our news bulletins from the ongoing crisis at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

State of Nuclear Politics in Japan

Representatives from Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) met with governors of Shiga and Kyoto Prefectures this week, in an effort to convince them to approve of restarting reactors #3 and #4 at the Oi nuclear power plant in nearby Fukui Prefecture. Both governors refused to grant permission for the restarts. Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto used Twitter to spread his strongly worded anti-nuclear message, noting, “Stress tests and safety standards are two different things. The only thing that has happened is that a single investigation has approved a set of theoretical numbers based on a theoretical scenario. The commission said nothing about the safety of the plant.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is scheduled to meet with Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) head Yukio Edano, Nuclear Crisis Minister Goshi Hosono, and Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura as early as next week to discuss restarting the reactors. Currently, 53 of 54 Japanese reactors are offline; the last one, reactor #3 at Hokkaido Electric’s Tomari plant, is scheduled to shut down on May 5. In spite of repeated doomsday cries by the nuclear power industry of widespread blackouts, Japan has experienced neither blackouts nor power loss.

NISA has asked the operators of Mihama (KEPCO), Tokai (Japan Atomic Power Co.), Tsuruga (Japan Atomic Power Co.), Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (TEPCO), Shika (Hokuriku Electric), Shimane (Chugoku Electric) and Tomari (Hokkaido Electric) nuclear plants, as well as that of the Monju fast-breeder reactor, to review seismic studies of fault lines near their plants, after new research shows that they may be at greater risk for earthquakes than previously thought. The move is significant, because it could influence the results of stress tests and affect timing of possible restarts.

TEPCO’s corporate customers are fighting back against a proposed 17% rate hike. Almost 90% say that they will not pay the higher rates, which are scheduled to become effective on April 1. Yukio Edano, head of METI, has criticized the utility for not clearly explaining that those firms with existing contracts were not required to pay the new rates until their contracts expired. Many now say that they will not pay the new rates at all, spurring TEPCO to threaten that they may cut off power by the end of May to companies that refuse to pay. Edano has urged TEPCO to avoid making abrupt power cuts, which could take a significant toll on Japanese business. However, METI has no legally binding power over corporate power rates, so TEPCO is under no real obligation to comply.

Edano is encouraging TEPCO and the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund submit a new business plan by this Saturday, March 31. However, TEPCO is reportedly threatening to delay that process, because they are struggling to find a replacement for Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata in the wake of increasing anti-nuclear sentiment after the Fukushima disaster. A source quoted by Reuters noted, “Heading TEPCO was difficult even before this problem because of nuclear issues and anti-nuclear movements. With issues such as nuclear power plants and electricity rate hikes, there aren’t people who really want to take the job.”

TEPCO reported yet another leak of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant this week, announcing that 120 tons of waste water containing radioactive strontium had leaked from pipes, and approximately 80 liters of that had run into the ocean. Beta particles in ocean water measured .25 Bq/cm3. If it enters the food chain, radioactive strontium, which has a half-life of 29 years, can accumulate in bones and cause leukemia and bone cancer.

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(Unregistered) Boris324
says:

Whether there are blackouts or not why would any one take a chance with radiation considering the safety record of Japan's nuclear industry. NISA ...

Whether there are blackouts or not why would any one take a chance with radiation considering the safety record of Japan's nuclear industry. NISA seems to be a branch of the plant operators. It is easy to criticize the Japanese people's concerns when you are far away from the catastrophe. You may be safe for now but nobody knows the far reaching effects of radiation. Thank you Greenpeace.

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(Unregistered) Beppe
says:

@Ohmy: strictly speaking you are right but this is not what Greenpeace is trying to say. Let me recall what happened.

It is indeed true that, just after the earthquake, there have been some planned interruptions of electricity supply in the suburbs of Tokyo. However, even that has been very limited both in term of size and duration and there have been no blackouts during the following summer, when electricity consumption peaks.

The planned blackouts in the weeks after the earthquake occourred because all of Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini and Tokai 2 nuclear powerplants (10 reactors in total, 10,000 MW theoretical capacity) could not withstand the earthquake.
Note that, at the time, Tepco generating capacity was already reduced because three reactors of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant were still down since the Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake of July 2007.
In conclusion: yes, stricly speaking Greenpeace is lying when it says there have been no blackouts. However the blackouts were not caused by Japan being reluctant at restarting its nuclear reactors.
Blackouts occourred BECAUSE Japan was relying so much on nuclear powerplants that are so vulnerable to earthquakes and take years to be put back online, even if you want to.
Japan is a highly seismic area; relying less on nuclear power will *decrease* chances of more blackouts when the next quake strikes and getting rid of *all* nuclear plants will reduce chances of getting another Fukushima.
Unfortunately, as a result of Japan disgraced decision to build nuclear powerplants, even if no plant is ever restarted, if another powerful quake hits Fukushima Daiichi we will likely have another major release and the same thing will happen if any site stocking spent fuel loses the electricity it needs to cool the fuel down.